Half of Frito-Lay product lineup to be all-natural

December 29th, 2010

PLANO, Texas – Frito-Lay North America plans to make about 50% of its product portfolio with all-natural ingredients and has begun shipping the first natural snacks to retailers.

The PepsiCo division said Tuesday that the strategy includes three of its biggest brands: Lay's, Tostitos and SunChips. The all-natural products do not contain artificial or synthetic ingredients, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives or ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), according to the company.

Plans call for more than six dozen varieties of Frito-Lay products to be made with all-natural ingredients, including all the flavors of Lay's potato chips, Tostitos tortilla chips, SunChips multigrain snacks, Baked! snacks, and Rold Gold pretzels by the end of 2011.

Frito-Lay said new all-natural products are becoming available now at retailers nationwide, with more products launching throughout 2011. The reformulated products will bear a stamp on package signifying that the product is made with all-natural ingredients, with no MSG, artificial preservatives or artificial flavors.

"We have insights that show consumers are seeking a wider range of products made with all-natural ingredients. At Frito-Lay North America, we want to provide our customers with a broad portfolio of snack options that taste great and are made with real food ingredients," explained Ann Mukherjee, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Frito-Lay. "Many of the unflavored snacks in our portfolio are already made with all-natural ingredients, and we've focused on expanding our portfolio of products with all-natural ingredients to include more of consumers' favorite flavored products."

To support the product shift, Frito-Lay said that it's planning the largest integrated marketing campaign in its history. Set to kick off Jan. 1 during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the effort will feature a significant focus on digital and social media, as well as national television advertising, print advertising and in-store promotions, including partnerships with top-tier retailers and media for cooperative advertising.

Frito-Lay added that in 2011 it will use advertising and marketing to drive consumers to Facebook, with most of the ads — and for the first time ever, packaging — listing branded Facebook pages. The company said it will claim the broadest portfolio of consumer products that include a Facebook URL on packaging to date.

"Throughout the campaign, Frito-Lay is highlighting our 'seed to shelf' story, which shows the care and pride that goes into every step to make our products, from the real ingredients that we use, to the real culinary arts and quality employee experts," commented Mukherjee. "We are pulling back the curtain and inviting consumers to learn how our products are created, from our kitchen into theirs."